Green Buildings in China and Europe - Article Example

Green Buildings in China and EuropeGreen buildings incorporates operations, constructions and designs that utilizes materials that are sustainable in constructions with the aim of achieving water saving, energy efficiency and indoor air quality improvements. The developers ensure the building is located at a site with close proximity to grocery stores, amenities and public transportation apart from being exposed to sunlight. The paper seeks to contrast and compare green building construction in china and in Europe.

Green building construction is aimed at energy saving (Liu & He, 2011). Most developers in China are beginning to apply the green building strategy to most of its constructions. China just like most countries in Europe has continued to make progress in construction of buildings that are green and energy efficient though they face different challenges in the implementation of the strategy (Liu & He, 2011). Misaligned incentives and inadequate awareness on green buildings in china has slowed down the adoption of the strategy.

The construction of green buildings in china is still less practiced by the Chinese construction industry, though current central government policies and environmental awareness targeting reduction of energy is aimed at increasing the number of the green building (Lehmann, 2010). This is unlike Europe where the construction of green building started many years ago. According to john Echlin an architect who is American, public and culture drives building design in Europe. The buildings are also constructed for permanent basis unlike in china that considers space and cost as the determinant factor in the construction of the buildings especially in urban centres.

Most of the architects in Europe are aware of the impact of the green building constructions towards the reduction of energy unlike those in China. The owner of the Chinese’s private reserve in Zheijiang province ensured that food required by the reserve is grown at the site and reduced overdependence on energy and water from the surrounding environment. Such was just an example of the green building in china but since then more and more building focusing on energy reduction and being environmental friendly have come up.

An example of such a building in Europe is the Doxford solar office found at a park near Sunderland. The building design was energy responsible with the aim of saving energy which is of increased concern in Europe. Green buildings are also considered a profitable venture in Europe and China. It is however true that there are more buildings in Europe than in china. Unlike in Europe where public benefit and culture drives the design of the building to be constructed, Chinese constructions are based on costs and profit maximization.

It is the reason that has resulted to less number of the green buildings in the China especially in the urban centres. Multinational Corporation, hotel numbers and large Chinese companies have however employed the practice in their buildings (Lehmann, 2010). China’s recent plans aim at reducing carbon dioxide emission and overall energy use. Regulators have been forced to focus on establishing buildings that are green and energy efficient as a way of being in line with the government’s energy reduction plan.

Europe on the hand has come up with strategy that will ensure all public houses become carbon neutral by the year two thousand and sixteen. New buildings in the United Kingdom are to be graded in terms of efficiency in energy use. The plan is intended to spur new innovation and designs in the construction industry. The constructions of the green houses in the united kingdom targets saving energy due to higher prices spend on the commodity, green houses constructions in china focuses on lowering carbon dioxide emission and control of pollution more so air pollution that has become a economic set back in major cities (Liu & He, 2011).

Conclusion The positive impact of green building construction in both China and the United Kingdom is unquestionable. However how much institutions in both china and Europe find it expensive to construct green buildings, enough evidence shows that, the energy saving pays off the extra charges spent (Lehmann, 2010). Investing on green buildings is a profitable venture for both multinational corporations and the companies. Investors in various countries will find it a challenge to adapt to increasing energy prices if they fail to apply the green building approach in their constructions.

ReferencesLehmann, S. (2010). Lessons from Europe for China? New Urban Sub-Centres for a Polycentric Network City. JOURNAL OF GREEN BUILDING, 88-100.Liu, J., Low, S., & He, X. (2011). Green practices in the Chinese building industry: Drivers and impediments. Journal of Technology Management in China, 50-63.